Michigan State University
University Archives & Historical Collections
Privacy Statement

revised 6 February 2012

This online privacy statement is intended to inform you of the ways in which this website ("Site") collects information, the uses to which that information will be put, and the ways in which we protect information you choose to provide us. Please note that other Michigan State University websites may adopt different privacy practices as their specific needs require. Use of this Site is subject to all applicable state and federal laws, as well as general University policies.

Information Collected

This Site collects two general types of information: (a) information you voluntarily provide to us, which may include personal information (such as your name, address, e-mail address, etc.), and (b) information we collect automatically when you visit this Site through cookies, third party tracking technologies and server logs.

Information Voluntarily Provided by You

This Site will only collect personal information that you knowingly and voluntarily provide by, for example, responding to surveys, completing membership forms, sending e-mails, etc. It is this Site's general practice to use personal information only for the purposes for which it was requested and any additional uses specifically stated on the Site. However, information collected through this Site may be subject to the University's obligation to respond to subpoenas, court orders, discovery requests, and requests for public records under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act. Further, the disclosure of information collected through this Site is subject to the provisions of the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act.
The University may also access or permit access to information collected through this Site in accordance with and subject to the limitations of the University's Acceptable Use Policy for Information Technology Resources.
Although this Site has security measures in place to protect personal information provided to us by users, users should also take steps to protect personal information by, for example, closing all web browsers after using the Site. Information disclosed in chat rooms, news groups, forums, message boards and similar contexts may become public. Users should therefore exercise caution before disclosing personal information in such contexts.

Information We Collect Automatically

This Site collects information automatically through the use of cookies, third party tracking technologies and server logs. This information does not include any personal information. We use this information primarily to monitor the use of this Site and to make improvements. We may share this data with partners in order to enhance the functionality of this Site.

Cookies

This Site use "cookies" to help you personalize your online experience. A cookie is a text file that is placed on your hard disk by a Web page server. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you.
One of the primary purposes of cookies is to provide a convenience feature to save you time. The purpose of a cookie is to tell the Web server that you have returned to a specific page. For example, if you personalize University Archives & Historical Collections pages, or register with the UAHC site or services, a cookie helps UAHC to recall your specific information on subsequent visits. This simplifies the process of recording your personal information, such as billing addresses, shipping addresses, and so on. When you return to the same UAHC Web site, the information you previously provided can be retrieved, so you can easily use the UAHC features that you customized.
You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most Web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully experience the interactive features of the UAHC services or Web sites you visit.

Third Party Tracking Technology

This Site uses a tracking technology called Advanced Web Statistics (AWStats) to obtain Site usage information such as users' Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, Internet domain and host names, browser software, and the date and time that the Site is visited. Data obtained through AWStats does not include and is not linked to any personal information. Data from AWStats allows us to monitor the use of this Site, understand how users find our Site, and improve the Site's function and content.
Site usage data collected through AWStats is not shared with other products and tools. Our use of AWStats is in compliance with the MSU Access to Student Information Guidelines. To learn more about AWStat, visit http://awstats.sourceforge.net/.
You may also wish to review the MSU Access to Student Information Guidlines.

Server Logs

Our web servers routinely generate logs that contain the following types of information each time the Site is used:

The date, time and length of your visit.

The path taken through our Site and the browser being used.

The list of files downloaded and the amount of time spent viewing video or audio files.

The IP Address of the computer accessing our Site.

Any errors encountered.

This information is used primarily to monitor the functioning and integrity of the Site and other MSU websites.

Links

This Site may contain links to other sites. Please be aware that we do not control or claim any responsibility for the privacy practices or content of such other sites. We encourage users to read the privacy statements of each website they visit.

Changes to Privacy Statement

If we make changes to our privacy statement, we will indicate this on our home page.

Disclaimer

Neither Michigan State University, nor any of its units, programs, employees, agents or individual trustees, shall be liable for any improper or incorrect use of information obtained through the use of this Site.

Consent

By using this Site you consent to the terms of this privacy statement.

Questions and Feedback

Your questions, comments and concerns are always welcome. Please send us your feedback regarding the privacy statement or any other issues at: archives@msu.edu.